looking into your eyes
by That Pesky Summers Kid
Summary: Dawn only knew a few things about Paul. —Dawn/Paul, Ikarishipping


**\- Looking Into Your Eyes -**

* * *

 _'cause in your eyes, i'd like to stay_

* * *

he was a trainer.

she was a coordinator.

they were from different worlds.

they weren't supposed to collide.

 _(it was bound to happen someday.)_

...

In all the time that Dawn had known Paul, she only knew a few things about him.

She knew he had an older brother. She knew his parents had died in an accident when he was six. She knew Torterra was his first pokémon. She knew he liked to drink black coffee and wasn't much for sweets. But she didn't know why he was so rude to everyone or why he was so obsessed with becoming Champion.

Dawn didn't know anything about Paul that anybody else didn't know.

Then, on one fateful day, the day of Ash and Paul's battle, she happened to stumble across Paul talking to Reggie. His replies were curt and straight to the point. He seemed adamant to keep his team, the same one that fought Ash, and Dawn wondered why he was leaving himself open.

Surely, by now, Ash would know a few of Paul's moves. It would've made more sense to catch a new pokémon and train them for this battle or use one that Ash had never battled against.

A few moments after she'd initially stumbled across Paul, the call ended, with Reggie wishing him luck. She wanted to lower her head but something made her stop. Paul's fists were clenched, his expression determined. It was a bit different from what Dawn was used to. That boy always seemed so cold and calculated, as if one smile would give away his biggest secrets.

When she saw Paul turn to move his head, she tried to duck but she had forgotten that Piplup was still sitting on top of her head. She quickly reached to grab the penguin pokémon, freezing when she saw that Paul was looking at her. She put up her hands defensively, frantically reassuring the purple headed trainer that she wasn't spying on him.

She asked him about Reggie, he didn't answer. Instead, he replied with his own question:

"What about _him_?"

At first, she thought Paul was talking about Reggie. His expression didn't reveal much for her. Then she realized Paul wouldn't need to ask Dawn about _Reggie_ but he would about _Ash_.

She was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't realize Paul had started to leave. She pulled Piplup off her head and wrapped her arms around her starter, rushing after Paul. She berated him about leaving her at first - she could've sworn she saw him smile - and offered to call Ash over. She was sure Ash wouldn't mind if she invited Paul over.

His reply was short but it left his lips too fast for Dawn to suspect that Paul wasn't nervous for the battle. A simple, "no." Short and sweet but nicer than half the things he'd said in the past year.

They continued walking and suddenly, Paul started talking to her. The coordinator had to blink twice to make sure she wasn't dreaming. He told her about how Ash reminded him of Reggie in some aspects and that was why he didn't like Ash.

She wanted to say a bit more than she had said but wasn't too willing to give up the bubble they'd made for themselves. Besides, that little bit was enough to offer her some insight on how Paul worked. When she spotted Ash, she stood next to Paul for a while, unsure of what to do. After Barry shot her a suggestive look, she flushed and made her way to the other side, but not before shooting Paul a nervous smile.

She didn't pay attention to Ash and Paul's exchange, instead choosing to focus on something bigger:

Who was she going to cheer for?

...

he was like winter.

she was like summer.

they were on two opposite ends of the spectrum.

yet, they found their perfect middle.

 _(who knew Ash was such a great matchmaker?)_

...

She met up with him in Hearthome City.

It was an accident. She'd seen a familiar pikachu on top of a red hat and before her mind could register what was happening, her feet moved on their own accord, rushing after the trainer. Her lips moved, shouting his name, happy to see him again.

...she hadn't expected him to be there.

The boy turned around, revealing a familiar face. It wasn't the one she was looking for. She hadn't been looking for mauve hair and steely onyx eyes. She hadn't even known that Paul had a pikachu.

Pikachu jumped off of Paul's head, rushing towards Piplup. He called his name a few times, Ash's hat hanging off his tail. Piplup puffed his chest and placed his flipper on his chest, his beak moving to resemble a smile. The penguin pokémon shot out his right flipper, holding it out in what looked to resemble a thumbs up.

"Pikachu!" Her head turned, as well as Piplup and Pikachu's, to see Paul running up to her.

Pikachu adopted a sheepish look, his paw rubbing the back of his head. The mouse pokémon ran back to Paul, jumping onto the trainer's shoulder, his tail dropping Ash's hat on top of Paul's head.

Paul didn't seem annoyed or angry. He merely adopted an amused look, shooting Pikachu a 'what am I going to do with you' look. His hand reached out to Ash's hat and he pulled it off, running a hand through his mauve hair before placing the hat on top of his head. He didn't seem to notice her standing there but Dawn didn't take personal offence to it.

All the coordinator could do was stare at Paul. Was he really the same trainer who'd been Ash's rival?

It was true that people changed as time passed by but Dawn hadn't expected Paul to be so, _different_. He was nothing like the trainer that pushed Chimchar to his limits or the trainer that seemed to forget her name every time they met. He had, after all, smiled more in that past minute or two than he had that entire year that Dawn had seen him.

She cleared her throat, successfully grabbing his attention. "What are you doing here, Paul?"

He stared blankly at her for a moment, until Pikachu whispered something in his eyes. A flash of recognition passed through and Dawn felt a sense of relief pass through her. She wouldn't have to make a scene today.

He greeted her, smiling at her and her Piplup. Butterflies caused a frenzy in her stomach as she tried desperately not to blush. She'd been so sure that her kiddie crush on Paul had been gone.

...clearly, they hadn't.

He inquired about her and she asked a few questions about him, mainly why he had Ash's Pikachu. He explained to her that Ash had run off at the sight of Kanto food after the boy had learned of the Kanto Festival in Hearthome - of course, he had substituted Ash for 'idiot' and Pikachu had nodded his head every time Paul referred to Ash as such, which led her to believe that Pikachu was upset about being left behind.

She offered to lead them to the festival, having been on the way before she'd seen Pikachu and Ash's hat. Pikachu nodded in place of Paul and they spent the next hour or so searching for Ash. They did find him eventually, near a booth set up by the water-type gym leader of Kanto.

Ash seemed to be flirting with her but before he could ask for a date, Pikachu shocked his trainer and Paul dragged the raven haired trainer away, giving the carrot-haired a sheepish look and a "he'll call you later, Mist."

He even had a nickname for her! How close was Paul to Ash?

It turns out, she didn't need to think long because Ash decided that he needed a wingman for his right-now date (he'd thrown Paul and Pikachu a pointed look and they'd returned the same look to Ash) and he suggested that Paul take Dawn as his date, since "she was the only girl Paul had probably talked to."

To her surprise, it turned out well. Despite their opposing personalities, they'd found a middle ground.

It left her thinking that they might actually work.

...

he was fire, her friends warned.

she was going to get burned, they warned.

she didn't listen to them.

and her heart paid the price.

 _(she would do it again and again, over and over, despite it.)_

...

It happened in Snowpoint City.

Dawn didn't know what went wrong. Had he heard Zoey talk about him? Had Ash mistakenly told his friend what he'd heard? Whoever was the cause of their break up had better watch out for their lives because Dawn was coming for them.

The breakup had been abrupt. One second, the two were enjoying each other's presence. The next, Paul was off the bed, a neutral look on his face as he told her that it was best if they broke up.

And it _hurt_.

There hadn't been any warning signs, nothing to tell her that he hadn't wanted to continue their relationship. Even in hindsight, there was nothing Paul had done to suggest that he was contemplating on breaking up. She had called up Misty soon after the breakup and asked her the same thing, just to make sure she wasn't being biased. Misty thought the same thing as Dawn.

A few days after the breakup, all of Dawn's female friends had shown up at Misty's place, each offering their own insight on the situation. It wasn't what she wanted; all she wanted was to forget Paul ever happened, but she accepted her friends' help with a forced smile on her face. And they didn't even realize...

...if Paul had been there, he would've realized.

Dawn shook her head and tried focusing on her friends' suggestions, taking into account what each person had said. Just because she wanted to forget Paul didn't mean she didn't want to find out why he broke up with her. Finding the answer always solved the problem.

Unfortunately, none of her friends had the answers that Dawn was looking for. Their answers were mostly their negative opinion of Paul and how Dawn's relationship with him wasn't what was best for her and how Dawn is so much better without him (that last one was Zoey).

And as much as Dawn wanted to hate that plum-headed jerkface, her heart simply wouldn't allow it. Dawn had always been someone who followed her heart and in every argument, her heart usually won her clouded judgement over. This situation was no different. And truthfully, she wanted to strangle half of these people because they didn't know who Paul was; they were simply basing their judgement off of ten years ago.

But they took the time to comfort her, so she faked a smile and a yawn, saying, "Thanks, guys! I really feel _so_ much better about this."

Her use of sarcasm went over everyone's heads, except Misty. The Cerulean City Gym Leader shot her friend a sympathetic look and Dawn hated it. She didn't want anyone's pity, she just wanted Paul back. But it obviously wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Once everyone fell asleep, Dawn stood up and headed towards the balcony. Some fresh air would clear her mind. Piplup followed behind, the soft patter of Piplup's feet strangely calming Dawn. She bit her lip and pulled out her necklace, flipping it open.

When Paul would leave to train, Dawn would stare at the necklace for a while after. And when he would leave for days on end, she would look at it every night, just to remind herself that he would come back to her. Always.

This time wasn't the same. She ripped the necklace off her neck, her fingers grasping it tightly. This time, he wasn't coming back. She moved her arm back, in anticipation of throwing the damn necklace down, away from her and her aching heart. This time, it was permanent.

Piplup looked at her in confusion and Dawn lowered her hand. She couldn't do it.

...she missed him too much to let go.

...

 _(the breakup lasted a few weeks until Ash dragged Paul and Dawn into a closet so they could "talk" like civil people.)_

...

he moved on with his life.

she was still stuck in the past.

too frozen to move.

too hurt to try.

 _(they knew it wouldn't last.)_

...

Dawn only knew a few things about Paul when it came to what really mattered.

He could be caring when he wanted to. He could be prideful when it came to admitting faults. He could be rude to people when he didn't agree with their tactics. But he could be a great friend when it came down to it...

...she loved him for that.

...

he was a trainer.

she was a coordinator.

they were from to different worlds.

but it didn't hurt to try.

 _(they still got their happy ending.)_


End file.
